Thursday, December 30, 2010

It's a deceptively simple concept: man takes camera and tripod out into the NYC blizzard and shoots what he sees. But there's enough beauty and craftsmanship in this three-and-a-half minutes that Roger Ebert thinks it should win an Oscar.As Ebert points out, there's more to Jamie Stuart's "Idiot with a Tripod" than a single viewing might suggest:This film deserves to win the Academy Award for best live-action short subject.

(1) Because of its wonderful quality. (2) Because of its role as homage. It is directly inspired by Dziga Vertov's 1929 silent classic "Man With a Movie Camera." (3) Because it represents an almost unbelievable technical proficiency. It was filmed during the New York blizzard of Dec. 26, and Jamie Stuart e-mailed it to me with this time stamp: December 27, 2010 4:18:18 PM CST.It's incredible to think that not only did Stuart turn this project around so quickly, he did it all shooting with a Canon 7D (and a variety of Nikon manual lenses) and editing in Final Cut Pro. All in just a little over a day.So what say you, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? "Idiot With a Tripod" may not have shown up in art houses. But I'm betting it can stand tall against most of the live-action short films that did. [Roger Ebert's Journal via Good]

Monday, December 27, 2010

| DECEMBER 2010

Our list of America's Most Religious Cities shows there's a lot of praying going on in the Bible Belt. No shocker there.

But what is surprising is who's No. 1 in worship: Colorado Springs.

While it's true that Colorado, at 5,980 feet above sea level, is closer to heaven than even the Mile High City, we used a different set of numbers to divine our findings. We scoured the U.S. Census and the yellow pages (Yellow.com) for places of worship per capita. Then we tallied up religious organizations (U.S. Census) and the number of volunteers who support these groups (VolunteeringinAmerica.gov). Finally, we considered the amount of money donated to religious organizations (Bureau of Labor Statistics and spent on religious books (Mediamark Research).

Washington: The US National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for parts of New York, New Jersey and other states along the east coast of the UnitedStates as a major winter storm bears down on the area on Sunday.

A band of frigid weather was snaking up the East Coast on Sunday, promising blizzards and a foot of snow for New York City and New England, while several statesmade emergency declarations as the storm caused crashes on slick roads.

Heavy snow and blizzards in parts of North Carolina were making driving conditions difficult, and there were dozens of traffic accidents.

North Carolina authorities reported a fatal traffic accident near Charlotte.The North Carolina Highway Patrol said late on Saturday that most of the roads in and around Asheville were either covered or partially covered with snow and ice.

The storm is the result of a low pressure system off the North Carolina coast that will strengthen into a major storm as it moves northeast, according to the NationalWeather Service.The snow brought a rare white Christmas to the South.

Columbia, in South Carolina, had its first significant Christmas snow since weather records were first kept in 1887.

Airlines grounded hundreds of flights on Sunday along the Northeast corridor in anticipation of the storm, affecting major airports including New York's John F KennedyAirport and Newark.New York City-area airports alone cancelled close to 1,000 flights.

The National Weather Service is expecting heavy snow and strong winds with considerable blowing and drifting of snow.

A blizzard warning is issued when snow is accompanied by sustained winds or gusts over 35 miles-per-hour (56 kilometres-per-hour).

As much as 18 inches (46 centimetres) could fall on the New Jersey shore with wind gusts over 40 miles-per-hour (64 kilometres-per-hour).

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter declared a snow emergency as of 2 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Sunday, and he urged residents to stay off the roads.

In Washington DC, transportation officials treated roads with salt and readied 200 salt trucks and ploughs in preparation for the six inches (15 centimetres) of snow to fallin the Mid-Atlantic region.

In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino declared a snow emergency that bans parking on all major streets.

By early Sunday, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina had also declared states of emergency.

Teena Marie (March 5, 1956 - December 26, 2010) was an AmericanGrammy Award-nominated singer–songwriter–producer. Marie, nicknamed Lady Tee, (sometimes spelled Lady T), was a protegée of late funk legend Rick James, and was notable as one of the few successful white performers of R&B. She played rhythm guitar, keyboards and congas. She also wrote, produced, sang and arranged virtually all of her songs since her 1980 release Irons in the Fire. She said it was her favorite album. She had a daughter, Alia Rose, who, as of 2009, sang under the name Rose Le Beau.[1][2][3] Marie died on Sunday, December 26, 2010, at home, as announced by her manager, Mike Gardner.[4] She was 54. (WIKIPEDIA)

Friday, December 24, 2010

CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla goes inside a $52 billion a year industry.— and it's pure gold for companies like Waste Management and Republic Services who dominate this $52 billion-a-year industry. From curbside collection by trucks costing $250,000 each, to per-ton tipping fees at landfills, there's money to be made at every point as more than half of the 250 million tons of trash created in the United States each year reaches its final resting place.

At a cost of $1 million per acre to construct, operate and ultimately close in an environmentally feasible method, modern landfills are technological marvels — a far cry from the town dump that still resonates in most people's perceptions. Not only do they make money for their owners, they add millions to the economic wellbeing of the towns that house them. Technologies, such as Landfill Natural Gas and Waste To Energy, are giving garbage a second life, turning trash into power sources and helping to solve mounting problems. It's particularly important in places like Hawaii, where disposal space is an issue, and in China, where land and energy are needed and trash is plentiful. One sure thing about the garbage business: it's always picking up.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

LOS ANGELES — "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan is recovering from a kidney transplant. A statement released Monday by Morgan's publicist says Morgan is doing well and taking "much-needed time" to recover from the surgery earlier this month.The statement says the actor-comedian looks forward to returning to work on the New York-based NBC sitcom after the holidays.The 42-year-old Morgan plays the goofy star of a TV show on "30 Rock." Another "30 Rock" cast member, Grizz Chapman, also received a new kidney earlier this year.

NBC didn't immediately respond to a query about how Morgan's surgery would affect production of the sitcom.

U.S. Population: Nearly 309 Million, Census SaysPublished: December 21, 2010by Mark MemmottThe nation's 23rd census has concluded that the U.S. population stood at 308,745,538 on April 1 of this year, up 9.7% from 281,421,906 in the year 2000, the Census Bureau just announced.It has a lot of information (and a webcast of the news conference that's now underway) up on its website. It's also tweeting (follow #2010Census) and is putting updates on its Facebook page.Census also has a video about the all-important issue of apportionment -- the process of dividing up the seats in the House of Representatives based on the latest census numbers.And Census created this interactive map:Update at 11:30 a.m. ET. On apportionment in the House, Census says that based on the new population estimate:-- Eight states will gain members in the House. They are: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington.-- Ten states will lose members in the House. They are: Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. [Copyright 2010 National Public Radio]

Monday, December 20, 2010

Only days after proudly announcing that it had installed an $11-million Christmas tree -- the most expensive ever -- a hotel in Abu Dhabi is apologizing after critics denounced the display as being in bad taste.

Abu Dhabi Emirates Palace Hotel expressed embarassment over its "attempts to overload the tradition" in a way that does not "fall in line with the professional standards" of the hotel.

The tree stands at more than 13-metres tall and is decorated with diamonds, pearls, emeralds and sapphires (181 pieces in total) provided by one of the hotel's gemstone boutiques.

Despite its location in the capital of the wealthy Muslim nation, the Emirates Palace has stated that the Christmas tree tradition falls within national policies of tolerance.

The LAPD has admitted there are absolutely no legal consequences for drivers who ignore red light camera tickets in the city.That might be why the city has not been able to collect fines from some 56,000 drivers who've apparently just tossed out the tickets.LAPD Assistant Chief Michael Moore explains it's because LA County courts have decided automated fines and license suspensions are too harsh. "There's no warrant. There's no collection that goes into a credit report," Moore says. "There's absolutely no consequences."The Los Angeles police commission has begun the process of renewing the city's contracts for cameras. They cost taxpayers because of those unpaid tickets.Advocates in the police department and on the city council say they make driving safer.

This Holiday Season, join BET and an All-Star cast, for a celebration, titled“A Very BET Christmas." This one hour in-studio special will be hosted by a variety of celebrity talent and will feature musical performances on the festive BET set, and artist memories in a more intimate setting.

Viewers will be treated to renditions of their favorite Christmas tales and songs, performed by some of the biggest names in the game. They will get exclusive insight on some artists as they take us down memory lane, recalling their favorite stories from Christmases past.

Don't miss out this holiday season! Celebrate your Christmas with BET on Sunday, December 12 at 8p/7c with a superstar cast of performers when BET’s "A Very BET Christmas" premieres.

Friday, December 10, 2010

America's schools are failing our kids. On this point, the data is clear. While some people blame the kids, or simply want to throw more money at the problem, we know that real change requires a better system — one that puts students' needs before those of special interests or wasteful bureaucracies. To succeed in our mission, we're working with parents, teachers, administrators, and citizens across the country to ensure great teachers, access to great schools, and effective use of public dollars. Together, we'll demand that legislators, courts, district administrators, and school boards create and enforce policies that put students first. We'll make sure politicians and administrators recognize and reward excellent teachers, give novice teachers the training they need, and quickly improve or remove ineffective educators. We'll work to ensure that every family has a number of options for excellent schools to attend, so that getting into a great school becomes a matter of fact, not luck. And we'll make sure all Americans understand that our schools are not only an anchor for our communities, but an absolute gateway to our national prosperity and competitive standing in the world economy. We Believe: Great teachers can make a tremendous difference for students of every background; all children deserve outstanding teachers. Once inside the school, a great teacher is the single most important factor in a child's education. While there are many factors that influence a student's ability to learn, a great teacher can help any student overcome those barriers and realize their full potential. For this reason, we're doing everything we can to make sure teachers are supported and all schools are able to hire and retain the best teachers possible. We Believe: Attending a great school should be a matter of fact, not luck; every family should be able to choose an excellent school. In cities across America, parents are unable to enroll their kids in the best public schools — there just aren't enough seats. We're working to make sure all families have a range of high quality schools to choose from, because our kids shouldn't have to rely on a lottery or a certain Zip code to get a great education. We Believe: Public dollars belong where they make the biggest difference—on effective instructional programs; we must fight ineffective practices and bureaucracy. Schools need smart spending — not more money. Tax dollars should go toward programs that help our kids, ensure their long-term success, accurately evaluate teacher performance, and produce results — not layers or bureaucracy that only serve to protect the needs of special interests. We Believe: Parent and family involvement is key to increased student achievement, but the entire community must be engaged in the effort to improve our schools. Parental engagement is critical to ensuring student success, so we'll work to get all families more involved in their schools. But lasting reform requires that whole communities get involved in the fight for better schools. Without a widespread, concerted movement that engages all sectors of society, our country will continue to fall further and further behind the rest of the world. If you agree with our mission, and want to help transform education in your community and throughout America, join us.

Some things you just can't explain. Some things you just don't want to explain. Tammy Banovac is sort of in the middle.

Banovac used to be a doctor. Well, I guess she's a doctor -a dental surgeon- who used to practice in Arizona until she reportedly lost her license following the death of a 7 year old patient three hours after she removed 9 of his teeth. This happened in the early 90s.

Also in the 90s, April 1997 to be exact, Banovac posed for Playboy when they featured women in the dental profession. She was 39 then.

She was 52 when she arrived at the Oklahoma City Airport on Wednesday in a wheelchair dressed in her bra and panties while wearing her dog. This was her second pass through the airport. The first time the TSA found traces of nitrates on her possessions and wouldn't let her on the plane.

So why'd she strip? Banovac says it makes it easier on her and the TSA because the parts of her body the TSA would want to hand-search are visible when she wears only underwear.

She made it through this time. Maybe she'll do something about those roots.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

TDK is back in the game with a high-end 2.1 portable stereo bearing the no-frills name "Three Speaker Boombox". The product will hit retail in January, with the suggested price of $499.

The system features AM and FM radio, iPod/iPhone input (via USB), USB stick media playback, and multiple aux input connections. The left and right speakers are powered by 10 watts each, with a 15 watt woofer at the center, for a total of 35 watts RMS. The handle, knobs, and backing all use heavyweight aluminum. The front of the system uses a piano gloss acrylic. And yes, it's heavy.